- Cosmo Dragoon -

Understanding Leiji Matsumoto Universe

Cosmo Dragoon: "A Warrior's Gun"

What does "A Warrior's Gun" Look Like?

Here is the photo of HANDMADE Cosmo Dragoon made by Mr. Ueda (from Shasho-san no Page). He made it around 5-6 years ago. He made it out of cardboard paper! (can you believe it?) He estimated all the measurements from the photo of actual French Dragoon pistol. Although it looks smaller in Matsumoto works, the estimated length of actual Dragoon is around 52cm. Also, the weight of the actual French Dragoon is about 1.7kg. I see you have to be mighty strong to be able to handle this gun... By the way, the model right next to the handmade Dragoon is the unfinished 1/500 scale Space Battleship Yamato model he is in process of making.

 

What is "A Warrior's Gun"?

The name Cosmo Dragoon came from old French "Dragoon" who attacked in the war with a sword in their right hand, and a gun in their left hand. Later in America, genius gun maker Samuel Colt has created "1848 Dragoon Pistol", which became very popular in Civil War. Supposedly Tochiro took that model and converted into the Cosmo Version (From Galaxy Express Eternal Fantasy).

Cosmo Dragoon is the gun that "Only the true space warriors are able to own and use". It is one of the most important key factor which links many Matsumoto Worlds. It first appeared in Galaxy Express 999, and it keeps re-appearing many of Matsumoto's sci-fi creations.

Genius engineer Tochiro has created Cosmo Dragoon. In "Galaxy Express 999" movie, Tetsuro was given his gun from Tochiro's mother at Planet Titan with his hat and cape. "A Warrior's Gun" is apparently very famous gun, almost legendary. A bandit Antales tells Tetsuro that they are the only guns in galaxy which can kill machine people. There are few episodes in the comic "Galaxy Express 999" where Tetsuro's enemies backed off just by seeing him owning Cosmo Dragoon. In the first episode of OVA "Queen Emeraldas", Emeraldas uses it to shoot the small spaceship. As the shot skins on the surface of the ship, the whole ship starts melting, and the ship blows up. It is a very powerful gun. In "Nibelung's Ring" Tadashi Daiba also inherited it from his father, Doctor Daiba.

Who Owns "A Warrior's Gun"?

Traditionally, there was supposed to be only 4 of them in whole entire galaxy, and they were owned by Tetsuro, Harlock, Emeraldas, and one more person (from comic "Galaxy Express 999"). However, in OVA "Queen Emeraldas", Emeraldas mentions that there are 5 Cosmo Dragoons out there. Their owners are: Harlock, Emeraldas, Tetsuro, Maetel (this is where it was mentioned that Maetel is Emeraldas' twin sister), and Tochiro. Emeraldas gives Tochiro's Cosmo Dragoon to Hiroshi in the OVA "Queen Emeraldas" vol. 2; "And remember, you have to live up to the expectation of this gun. If you live to shame this gun, I will never forgive you." There are supposedly serial numbers on each Cosmo Dragoon, and Japanese Matsumoto fans have been debating over years on who owns which model. It changes so much in each story, I don't think it really matters. All it really matters to me is that Tochiro created it, they are the best guns in galaxy, and they work as a linkage to tie several Matsumoto Parallel Universe.

 

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